Two enemies-to-lovers, one unforgettable summer escape…
Jia Chung is living the dream…until she gets fired from her job, yet again. With her mom breathing down her neck to move home, she needs an escape, fast. When Mimi, her beloved grandmother, invites her to spend the summer in Palm Springs, Jia jumps at the chance. Staying at Sunset Hills Senior Living Community is exactly where a free spirit like Jia can thrive—among people living their best, sun-soaked, fun-filled lives. So what if they’re all octogenarians?
Henry Shin lives by the rules. It’s what overworked corporate lawyers do. They don’t fly off to Palm Springs to help their grandfathers move into a new home. But Dennis is Henry’s only family. How else can Henry make sure he’s settled and safe? The boisterous Zumba classes, daily happy hours, and spicy book clubs were a surprise though. And at the center, leading the charge, is a bright, vivacious stunner named Jia Chung. The same face he’d had a one-night stand with a few months back. And the same woman Henry was forced to terminate at his company the morning after.
As carefree days turn into hot, steamy nights, the chemistry between Henry and Jia ignites. But when the real world beckons, should what happens at the Sunset stay at the Sunset?
Susan Lee is the author of the critically acclaimed and reader favorite young adult romantic comedies SEOULMATES and THE NAME DROP. Her work has been featured in national outlets such as Buzzfeed, NPR, and Pop Sugar. Kirkus Reviews calls Susan’s voice “honest, fresh and thoughtful”. A graduate of UC San Diego, Susan built a career as an HR executive at some of today’s hottest companies, until she realized that writing stories was a more impactful and powerful form of change. Now she channels her energy into writing Happily Ever Afters for those historically underrepresented in Romance. When she is not writing (or painfully procrastinating from writing), Susan can be found down the rabbit holes of her many obsessions including listening to Kpop, binge watching K-dramas, collecting sneakers, building mechanical keyboards, and obsessing over her two adorable, but ill-behaved chihuahuas.
I love anything and everything Susan Lee writes, and this was no exception. Jia, my sunshine angel, and Henry, my coconut (hard-shelled, but soft and sweet on the inside), the sunset officially belongs to you 😭
I cried an exorbitant amount of happy tears while reading this book.
Henry is a button up rule follower with an absolutely filthy mouth and I couldn’t ask for anything better. Jia is free spirited and has the biggest heart. I LOVE THEM.
Mimi and her friends are absolute perfection and made this book a knockout.
Whats to love… - summer romance - found family - quirky side characters - opposites attract - one night stand - second meet disaster
Audio Narration: 5/5 Narrator: Michelle H. Lee Style: Single Length: 8 hours 29 mins Thoughts: WOW! What a great audiobook! Sometimes when a book is 3rd person close with two distinct main povs like this, a single narrator can feel like you’re missing out. This was NOT the case for this audiobook. Michelle H. Lee does a phenomenal job with voice variation and her male voices were perfection! Perfectly paced, no excessive pausing and an overall extremely enjoyable listening experience!
Opposites attract in this unforgettable summer escape!
Jia Chung is living the dream in Manhattan until she gets fired from her job. Her parents want her to move in with them at Florida but she decides to love with her grandmother in Palm Springs. With her Zumba classes, spicy book club and daily happy hour, Jia is living her best life.
Henry Shin is an overworked and exhausted corporate attorney. His grandfather is the only family he has so when he asks Henry to help in move into the Sunset Hills Senior Living Community, Henry comes to his aid. When Henry goes to the activities with his grandfather, he is shocked that Jia is leading the social activities. The very woman he had a one night stand with and was forced to terminate her at his company the next day.
The chemistry is off the charts, but can their unsavory past be overlooked? I enjoyed this romance which explores opposites attract, enemies to lovers, multiple generations, parental pressure, standing up for yourself, and finding your true calling in life. This one is spicy! 🌶
The audiobook performance by Michelle H. Lee (8 hours 29 minutes) was fantastic! It captured the characters, familial pressure, Asian culture and more! Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, MIRA Books, Harlequin Audio and Susan Lee for the gifted advance reader's copy and advance listening copy. All opinions are my own. 🎧📚
This was a fun read! I went in with very few expectations other than wanting a low-pressure, flirty romance, and it absolutely delivered. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. The story ended up having much more depth than I anticipated, and while that wasn’t necessarily what I was looking for, I’m glad it was included.
I loved that alongside the romance—and all that it entails, including some open-door spice—the book also explores larger conversations about boundaries and navigating workplace conflicts of interest when your partner is involved. I don’t want to get too specific because I want to avoid spoilers, but I thought those aspects were handled thoughtfully and felt very realistic.
I received a complimentary audiobook ALC from Harlequin Audio through NetGalley as part of The Hive program, which provides auto-approval for all of their titles. The audiobook was narrated by Michelle H. Lee, and she did a wonderful job. Her narration flowed at a comfortable pace at 1x speed, and I especially appreciated her deeper vocal tone since I tend to listen at 2x speed. A deeper voice often translates better at faster playback speeds and avoids sounding overly high-pitched.
One of my favorite aspects of her performance was the distinct voices she created for the characters. Her portrayal of the elderly male characters was particularly spot-on—it made me chuckle while still feeling authentic. Overall, I appreciated the vocal differences she gave each of the main characters, making them easy to distinguish, and she remained remarkably consistent throughout the narration.
I think this book would appeal to adults of all ages, from younger readers just entering the workforce who may appreciate the cautionary elements, to more mature readers who will relate to the workplace dynamics and relationship challenges. With its blend of romance, spice, and emotional depth, it makes for a fun and satisfying read.
I’m absolutely shocked that I read this book in a single day! I flew through it and it’s a credit to Susan’s writing.
See You at the Sunset, is a bright, effervescent, warm book that exudes a positive message. But also touches on maintaining senior independence and yes, even elder abuse. Jia and Henry’s story also works well with a BTS soundtrack.
When career climbing, code-switching, high-strung Henry Shin is given the responsibility of firing Jia Chung the bubbly, hopeful, jovial employee I knew this book was going to be interesting. The two end up together while they care for their grandparents in California at Sunset Hills and slowly bond while bring a community of seniors together. I know this book is Susan's second adult romance novel, and there are still some kinks to work out but the story is all good with its messages. As a new BTS listener, Into the Sun is *literally* the best track for this book and I hope one day we get to see Susan take advantage of the craze and interest in K-Pop explosion. Seriously, Susan give it to the girlies!
"Thanks for watching the sunset with me". "Thanks for letting me. I see now why it's so important to you".
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for the digital arc, after some bumps in the road I'm so glad that I got a digital copy. :)
Uptight lawyer has a one night stand with a girl. Girl gets fired from her job the next morning. But he was the one who approved of the paperwork for her termination. They serendipitously end up in Palm Springs visiting their grandparents and then things get interesting!!!
I wanted to jump into the pages and be transported right back to Palm Springs. While this book is, at its core, a romance, Susan Lee also nails the atmosphere and essence of Palm Springs, making the setting feel like a character of its own. I also really appreciated how she explores the complex relationships between aging adults, their children, and grandchildren.
Read: August 7th - August 11th Format: E-book Rating: No rating, DNF @ 40%
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I tried really hard to give this book a chance. I was already not feeling it by the 20% mark, but I thought I would try to stick it out, especially since I love grandchild-grandparent dynamics, and I hoped to see a shift in Jia and Henry so that I could at least root for them a little bit to be together.
But I'm 40% in, and Henry is still doing nothing but judging Jia between bouts of "can a person really just be this good???", and Jia feels like a caricature of a free spirited pixie dream girl or something.
What I think just really made me give up is the fact the old lady characters are acting like their interactions with each other are clearly signs of a huge steamy attraction??? He literally does nothing but judge her 90% of the time!!!
I get that character growth is a thing, and that it can take time, but it's 40% in, and I see no way that these two can be together without the growth being unrealistic and forced.
On top of this, and what originally had me checked out, the writing is pretty bland. Nothing horrible, but very much just base level TELLING a story, not really crafting one that I get to experience along with them. I struggle to become invested in stories when they feel distant and lack a charm that could make up for it. Which that is on me. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing in The Name Drop for mostly the same reasons, but I thought maybe there would be improvement or that maybe Lee would do more for an adult book. I was wrong.
I had such high hopes for this one, and it just fell flat for me. I absolutely loved Julia Song is Undateable, so I was very much so looking forward to this one.
First of all, I absolutely love Jia’s relationship with her grandmother. It was so sweet. And listening to Jia come into her own and help make the senior community come together and thrive was giving me LIFE! And that’s pretty much all that worked well for me in this story.
The spicy scenes felt so…awkward. Like the overall theme of finding yourself even if it’s not the scenario you imagined and coming into your own and happiness was relatively sweet and wholesome. And then the next thing you know we’re finger banging in a senior center kitchen and ejaculating on the wall. I don’t mind spice in stories at all, but it just didn’t seem to fit in well with the rest of the story.
Then there’s everyone else in Jia’s life. Her parents suck. Her former boss is a prick. Even Henry sucks at first. Henry is overbearing to his grandfather to the point of condescension and rude to Jia. Henry’s parents are also terrible people. Basically if you weren’t an octogenarian, Henry, or Jia in this book, you were insufferable.
The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life even if the story itself was disappointing.
Thank you Susan Lee and Harlequin Audio for an advanced gifted copy of the audiobook.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Susan Lee does it again! I really loved Meet Me at the Sunset. Jia and Henry are the cutest! I really enjoy Susan’s writing style. She funny and honestly a lot of the things are so relatable.
Soft DNFing this one, at least for now. I got to about 12%, but am struggling with the writing style. I'll probably give the audiobook a try once it's out.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The story gave me the vibes of my favorite movie, Letters to Juliet. I also loved the nod to the fmc from The Romance Rivalry. But for some reason, something was personally missing for me, and I can't quite figure out what it was. The characters were sweet, and they honestly reminded me so much of the ones from the movie.
My rating: 3.5
Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I started this around 8 am this morning, and couldn’t stop reading it until I finished it by 11. OH HOW I LOVED THIS BOOK! THANK YOU SUSAN LEE FOR THIS GORGEOUS, HEARTWARMING ROMANCE 🥰💘
the sweetest romance and the best living community ever. didn’t even know these kinds of neighborhoods existed and now i’m totally endeared. excellent audiobook!
Thank you, Harlequin Audio | MIRA, for the ALC of See You at the Sunset via NetGalley.
This was the perfect summer read! Fun, cute, and swoony romance. Michelle H. Lee did a fantastic job narrating Jia, Henry, and the whole cast of characters throughout the book. Each one had their own unique voice, which made it easy to keep everyone straight while listening. There were quite a few because you really get to know the residents of the Sunset Hills community.
Jia and Henry have amazing chemistry and a not-so-perfect meet cute, which is personally one of my favorite ways for two main characters to meet. Their relationship was so easy to root for, and I loved watching them discover how they could make each other better together. I also found myself alternating between giggling, kicking my feet, and blushing because of the banter, meddling residents, and spice.
Set in Palm Springs, it was the perfect location to give you all the summer vibes and make you feel like you should be lounging by the pool. The Sunset Hills community made this story even more charming. You will fall in love with everyone at Sunset Hills.
2.5 rounded up. Very easy read but I was also quite bored. My biggest issue was how the spice seems kind of shoehorned into the story. Like the author inserts them after the book is already done. They don’t fit the characters or their relationship development. However I would still suggest this to fans of Kristina Forest or Farrah Rochon due to the similar vibes!
A very cute and fun read with plenty of character growth and self-discovery for Jia and Henry. I loved watching their journeys unfold throughout the story. The elderly residents of the Sunset Hills community were such a delight! They were funny, caring, and incredibly supportive of one another. It was especially touching to see everyone coming together to participate in the various clubs, especially the spicy book club! 😂 I’ve always enjoyed Susan Lee’s writing, and this book was no exception. Overall, it was an engaging, fast-paced, and easy summer read that will leave you with a big smile! ☀️📚
Wow I absolutely loved this romance story and watching Jia and Henry fall in love. Full of laugh out loud humor, sweet moments between the main characters and just the right amount of spice (🔥🔥🔥/5).
Also I absolutely loved the community at The Subset retirement home. Their meddling to get the two characters together was so heartwarming and also reminds me so much of my grandma. It just added an extra element to the story that was fun and outlandish at times.
This novel is the perfect light rom com for your next vacation or final days of summer.
Headlines: Workplace Generational influences Rejecting the rat race
Susan Lee never lets me down with a joyful, authentic story that feels relatable in numerous ways.
See You At Sunset was a beautifully serendipitous story of two MCs having a workplace connection they didn't know about but then really getting to know each other away from there. Their grandparents were the means for introduction (after their one night stand!).
Lee often celebrates the influence of older generations on younger characters and this element really was the focus of this story. She conveyed a positive representation of an older community living setting with 'Sunset'; their vibe was excellent.
This was an easy, enjoyable read; perfect for the summer season. I highly recommend.
Thank you Harper 360UK and Instabooktours for the copy.
This had so many of the ingredients I love in a good romance! 🥰
🌞 Summer romance 💕 Found family 😍 Enemies to lovers 🥹 And ALL the feels!
I really enjoyed the audiobook and getting completely lost in this story! 🎧 There were so many warm, happy moments and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that made this such a fun read.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio for the ALC! 🎧💕
This was cute. I saw Susan Lee at an author event and she was delightful. I know this is sort of advertised as enemies to lovers but it really wasn’t - but I did enjoy how opposite the characters were in how they live their life. I loved the elderly characters we met at the Sunset Hills retirement community.
See You at the Sunset by Susan Lee was such a fun, feel-good summer rom-com!
I absolutely adored the setting and the residents of The Sunset Hills Senior Living Community. They felt like such a wonderful found family, and Jia’s presence brought so much fun, warmth, and dignity to the community. The combination of meddling elders, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, and plenty of chemistry made this an incredibly entertaining read.
I loved the balance of humor, heartfelt moments, and spice, along with the more meaningful themes surrounding aging, mental health, workplace sexism, and community. I did think the pacing was a little uneven though... the beginning took some time to get going, while the second half moved very quickly. I also wish we’d gotten a bit more time with the characters’ individual mental health journeys. Susan Lee's tender moments of the story is so soft and endearing and I almost prefer more of that vs. the spice.
But overall, this was a joyful, engaging read. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a funny, heartfelt, and spicy summer romance! Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I fell into this story right away and was invested in the set up, but as we went along it just stopped working for me. There was a lot of telling instead of showing and I found the characters to be not that interesting. The older folks felt like caricatures and our main characters felt pretty flat to me. I tried twice to get back into the story and I just could not do it.
Another delightful rom-com by Susan Lee! Her stories always leave me in a good mood and this is no different. Loved the concept and loved the execution. Do recommend!
bruh…this was so bad i couldn’t even get through the first chapter. written horribly. states things instead or showing them, this reads like a book for middle schoolers, if that. and the way it tries to be oooo alluring ooooo you don’t know what’s gonna happen is so overly written that it is very obvious and predictable. and stuff happens (literally even in the DIALOGUE) out of nowhere with no narrative thought, nothing through the preceding dialogue. just bad..